The evidence is clear in relation to the overall health benefits of Sauna and I certainly experienced a lot of those benefits. and would recommend it for these alone. 

However, what took this Zen Curious Lawyer by surprise were the social and therapeutic benefits of Sauna.

The first approach to our Gym sauna was daunting. The sauna, which is a large commercial Sauna with a glass entry, was full of people who all seemed to know each other. From outside the glass wall looking in, it would be easy to understand why people might feel they are interrupting a catch-up between close friends.

After a few weeks of using the Sauna you come to realise that these people are not all close friends who happen to hit the gym before dawn. This group of people are chance acquaintances who, in the relaxed atmosphere of the Sauna, have gotten to know one another.

It is on this journey of getting to know one another that you note the incredibly varied nature of Sauna chatter. There are the obvious discussions about workouts, techniques, or tips for recovery. However over time you are privy to more serious conversations, issues with relationships, anxieties about the day ahead, or decompressing from something that had recently occurred. It became quickly apparent that the Sauna creates a community.

And perhaps this is the greatest benefit, as with so many people working from home the community that we once had, around the water cooler, and in the lunch room, is dissipating. People are seeking that community out elsewhere and, from this Zen Curious Lawyers perspective, it felt like a lot of those conversations which once built your “work family” were now being had between 1 glass and 3 oak walls.